Lateran

American  

[lat-er-uhn] / ˈlæt ər ən /

noun

1. the church of St. John Lateran, the cathedral church of the city of Rome; the church of the pope as bishop of Rome.

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Lateran British  

/ ˈlætərən /

noun

1. Also called: Lateran palace.  a palace in Rome, formerly the official residence of the popes

2. any of five ecumenical councils held in this palace between 1123 and 1512

3. the basilica of Saint John Lateran, the cathedral church of Rome

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Etymology

Origin of Lateran

from Latin: the district is named after the ancient Roman family Plautii Laterani

Example Sentences

While modern popes live and work in the Vatican, the Lateran church is sometimes referred to in Catholicism as "the mother of all churches".

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2025

From the hostel terrace, we can see the Basilica of St. John Lateran, its imposing statues of Christ, John the Baptist, and John the Evangelist rising above the rooftops.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2025

There is at least one commonality between this period and the days leading up to John Paul’s death: a special evening Mass at St. John’s Lateran Basilica.

From Washington Post • Dec. 29, 2022

Organizers put the crowd assembled in front of St. John Lateran basilica for the protest at 100,000-strong,

From Seattle Times • Oct. 16, 2021

The Cotereaux and Braban�ons, whom we have seen included with the Patarins in the denunciations of the Council of Lateran, are a feature of the period whose significance deserves a passing notice.

From A History of The Inquisition of The Middle Ages; volume I by Lea, Henry Charles